Steve Wright - professional musician - England - Spain

Unlike many people who knew Russell, I had only known him for a couple of years. In that time I would like to think we became close for a number of different reasons. We were both more or less the same age bar a couple of years.

We both had a passion for music and the two of us had been hippies in our young days, indeed in spirit we both still were. Together we spent many an evening having a drink and smoke together recalling shared experiences of our younger days.

The first time I met Russell, it was one summer evening outside one of Fuengirola’ well known bars, The Pig and Whistle. That evening I was sitting outside still soaking up the evening sun, in fact there were quite a few people sitting outside. Sitting close to the entrance to the bar I suddenly became aware of this character sitting on the next table. For those that never met Russell he had a presence about him, a big guy, with all that hair, guitar on his back, and of cause Charlie by his side. We never really spoke but other people present asked him if he would allow me to have a play on his guitar.

As time went by I realised I was quite privileged that night, as I later learned that Russell was fussy about who he would allow to not only play but touch his guitar. Anyway he took the guitar out of its case and handed it to me. I politely thanked him and that was the first of many occasions I played Russell’ guitar. That first evening I played for what must have been about thirty minuets at the end passing the guitar back to its rightful owner. Russell took it and just said “that was good man, really good to watch”. We had a short conversation about music and that was it really, he soon moved on and it was a few weeks later before we met up again.

One of the other things Russell and I had in common was a mutual friend called Ton, a Dutch guy who I spent many an hour playing pool against. It was Ton who persuaded me to change my drinking venue from the Pig to a bar further down the street called Heatherspoons. He assured me it was a far more relaxed bar with good pool players a great courtyard and he was right about that. Anyway on entering Heatherspoons I once again met Russell, it transpired this was a regular bar for Russell and he frequented the bar on a daily basis.

As the weeks and months passed by we became good friends. Indeed along with Ton we became Los Tres Amigos. Over the following months Russell and I played many times together much to the pleasure of those that frequented the bar on a regular basis. Though we had completely contrasting musical styles we enjoyed some great occasions together and it was here I also met Clayton. Always appreciative Clayton seemed in his element when guitars were playing and would occasionally improvise a trumpet solo when the music took on a jazz flavour. I might add that Clayton did not own a trumpet indeed the only thing that went from hand to mouth was his pipe which he affectionately called his dummy, but his lips puckered, out of the corner of his mouth would come an improvised trumpet.

This was also the period I met up with Zoltan and some others who had known Russell for many years. In many ways I was the new kid on the block.

Anyway I digress back to Russell. In many ways Russell was misunderstood.

A street guy yes (through choice) but some people passed him off as a tramp like figure. I can only say that these people never really knew the man. Russ was very intelligent, well educated and from what he told me personally, came from quite a privileged background. I suppose no one really knew why he chose the lifestyle he lived but for many like myself it did not matter. Russell was Russell.

As time went by Russell seemed to withdraw musically, no longer willing to engage with me apart from a few occasions. He did explain, saying that I could always follow him but he could never follow me. He once remarked that I knew chords he never knew but the reality was, Russell’ strength was his voice and the rhythm he played his chords. Many people loved to hear him sing and play, I merely improvised melodically over what he was doing, painting a melodic picture and adding vocal harmonies at times.